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AustraliaCommunity profile

Australian Capital Territory

Education institution attending

In 2021, 36,277 people in Australian Capital Territory were attending university. This represents 8.0% of the population, compared to 5.0% in Victoria.

The share of Australian Capital Territory's population attending educational institutions reflects the age structure of the population, as it is influenced by the number of children attending school; proximity to tertiary education, which can mean young adults leaving home to be nearer to educational facilities and; the degree to which people are seeking out educational opportunities in adulthood, especially in their late teens and early twenties.

This data is often combined with Age Structure to identify areas with significant university student populations.

Learn more about planning education provision here.

Q:

Derived from the Census question:

'What type of educational institution is the person attending?'

Education institution attending
Australian Capital Territory - Total persons (Usual residence)20212011Change
Type of institutionNumber%Victoria %Number%Victoria %2011 to 2021
Pre-school8,8371.92.15,1941.51.7+3,643
Primary school38,1968.48.027,6597.87.7+10,537
Primary - Government25,0295.55.516,5934.75.1+8,436
Primary - Catholic8,7251.91.67,4162.11.7+1,309
Primary - Independent4,4421.00.93,6501.00.9+792
Secondary school27,9086.16.323,0816.56.5+4,827
Secondary - Government16,1583.63.512,3703.53.6+3,788
Secondary - Catholic7,1181.61.56,6571.91.5+461
Secondary - Independent4,6321.01.34,0541.11.3+578
TAFE/Vocational11,8212.62.49,1792.62.2+2,642
University36,2778.05.028,3017.94.6+7,976
Other5,7571.31.12,8090.80.9+2,948
Not attending306,90467.669.8241,91767.869.8+64,987
Not stated18,1894.05.318,4375.26.7-248
Total453,889100.0100.0356,577100.0100.0+97,312
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2011 and 2021. Compiled and presented by .id (informed decisions).
Please refer to specific data notes for more information

Dominant groups

Analysis of the share of the population attending educational institutions in Australian Capital Territory in 2021 compared to Victoria shows that there was a similar proportion attending primary school, a similar proportion attending secondary school, and a higher proportion engaged in tertiary level education.

Overall, 8.4% of the population were attending primary school, 6.1% of the population were attending secondary institutions, and 10.6% were learning at a tertiary level, compared with 8.0%, 6.3% and 7.4% respectively for Victoria.

The major differences between the share of the population attending learning institutions in Australian Capital Territory and Victoria were:

  • A larger percentage of persons attending University (8.0% compared to 5.0%)
  • A smaller percentage of persons not attending (67.6% compared to 69.8%)

Emerging groups

From 2011 to 2021, Australian Capital Territory's population increased by 97,312 people (+27.3%). This represents an average annual change of 2.44% per year over the period.

The largest changes in the number of persons attending education institutions in Australian Capital Territory, between 2011 and 2021 were in those who nominated:

  • Primary school (+10,537 persons)
  • Primary - Government (+8,436 persons)
  • University (+7,976 persons)
  • Secondary school (+4,827 persons)

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